Former A.K. Allen Co. property, a state Superfund site, is treated for contaminants, officials say
A.K. Allen Co. operated a manufacturing plant in Mineola, seen here on East Second Street on Monday, for decades before it became a state Superfund site. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
A former manufacturing plant in Mineola that became a state Superfund site has been remediated and no longer poses an environmental or public health threat, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said.
The property, spanning 4.15 acres, included a pair of buildings at 225 and 255 E. Second St. A.K. Allen Co., a former defense contractor, along with its subsidiaries Allenair Corp. and Allen Avionics, occupied the grounds until 2017, according to the DEC. The companies manufactured electronics, valves, air and hydraulic cylinders, pumps and filters.
The cleanup removed 1,500 tons of soil that had been contaminated by PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as volatile organic compounds, according to a DEC fact sheet. The soil was replaced with clean fill, according to the agency. Drums with waste metal shavings were improperly stored at the site, contributing to contamination, according to the fact sheet.
The remediation has met state cleanup requirements but will require continued monitoring, agency officials said.
A DEC spokesman said in a statement: "New York State has a proven track record of successfully investigating and cleaning up contamination across the state — including the A.K. Allen site in Mineola ... ."
The statement continued, "when cleaning up a site, DEC prioritizes the protection of public health by working closely with our partners at the state Department of Health to eliminate any potential exposure pathways; DEC then determines the appropriate cleanup that will be fully protective of the environment and the community."
Steel Allen Air oversaw the cleanup, which was monitored by the state DEC's Division of Environmental Remediation. The cleanup employed a soil vapor extraction process, the agency said.
Adrienne Esposito, executive director and cofounder of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said of the remediation effort: “This is a standard cleanup that complies with the laws, but it was a very serious toxic site."
“It seems like now, at least it can have some use so it’s not sitting there as a toxic landmark," she said. "This kind of program restores the land to allow it to be usable to some level for the community."
In 2019, the buildings, which span 120,000 square feet, were acquired by Steel Equities. That year, the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency awarded the developer 20 years of tax breaks to complete a $5 million renovation project, Newsday reported at the time.
In September 2023, the building had three tenants, according to a cleanup plan filed with the DEC: a packing and shipping facility; a car parts and electronics manufacturer; and a third company that produces metal walls and ceilings.
A former manufacturing plant in Mineola that became a state Superfund site has been remediated and no longer poses an environmental or public health threat, the state Department of Environmental Conservation said.
The property, spanning 4.15 acres, included a pair of buildings at 225 and 255 E. Second St. A.K. Allen Co., a former defense contractor, along with its subsidiaries Allenair Corp. and Allen Avionics, occupied the grounds until 2017, according to the DEC. The companies manufactured electronics, valves, air and hydraulic cylinders, pumps and filters.
The cleanup removed 1,500 tons of soil that had been contaminated by PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as volatile organic compounds, according to a DEC fact sheet. The soil was replaced with clean fill, according to the agency. Drums with waste metal shavings were improperly stored at the site, contributing to contamination, according to the fact sheet.
The remediation has met state cleanup requirements but will require continued monitoring, agency officials said.
A DEC spokesman said in a statement: "New York State has a proven track record of successfully investigating and cleaning up contamination across the state — including the A.K. Allen site in Mineola ... ."
The statement continued, "when cleaning up a site, DEC prioritizes the protection of public health by working closely with our partners at the state Department of Health to eliminate any potential exposure pathways; DEC then determines the appropriate cleanup that will be fully protective of the environment and the community."
Steel Allen Air oversaw the cleanup, which was monitored by the state DEC's Division of Environmental Remediation. The cleanup employed a soil vapor extraction process, the agency said.
Adrienne Esposito, executive director and cofounder of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment, said of the remediation effort: “This is a standard cleanup that complies with the laws, but it was a very serious toxic site."
“It seems like now, at least it can have some use so it’s not sitting there as a toxic landmark," she said. "This kind of program restores the land to allow it to be usable to some level for the community."
In 2019, the buildings, which span 120,000 square feet, were acquired by Steel Equities. That year, the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency awarded the developer 20 years of tax breaks to complete a $5 million renovation project, Newsday reported at the time.
In September 2023, the building had three tenants, according to a cleanup plan filed with the DEC: a packing and shipping facility; a car parts and electronics manufacturer; and a third company that produces metal walls and ceilings.
Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.
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